Every cat owner is familiar with the way their feline companion craves heat. Whether it’s snoozing in a narrow beam of sunlight, curling up on a laptop keyboard, or nestling inside a cardboard box, your pet naturally gravitates toward the warmest spot in the room. As it turns out, there are specific biological reasons that explain why cats love sunlight and heat.

• Cats have higher heat tolerance than humans. The average body temperature of a healthy cat is around 101 degrees, and they don’t begin to feel pain from heat until the temperature rises to 126 degrees. This greater tolerance for heat not only allows them to cope better when temperatures soar, but also prompts them to seek external warmth to maintain their 101-degree equilibrium.
• Cats are predators. From stealthily stalking a bird or mouse to waiting patiently for just the right moment to pounce on unsuspecting prey, cats use their brains far more than their brawn. This brain activity consumes tons of energy; so any help cats get in the form of external heat is energy they can divert from simply warming the body to powering more complex functions.
• Cats have turbo-charged metabolisms. Metabolic processes such as maintaining body temperature, digesting food, and preserving a healthy coat all require a constant influx of energy. Again, cats can conserve some of their energy expenditure by using external heat sources like sunlight and heated pet beds to help warm their bodies and keep their metabolism running more efficiently.

Now that you understand a bit more about why your cat seeks warmth, you can make its life a lot easier by placing heated cat pads or heated pet beds in strategic places throughout your home. Check out CozyWinters today to view our indoor and outdoor heated pet products that will help keep your cat warm and snug in every season.